My First Yule Log

As you may have noticed through my posts on this blog, I am not the most technical of bakers. I prefer to chuck it all in the oven, take it out and eat it, fast. But I know that there comes a time when every baker has to step outside that comfort zone, and I was sure that making a yule log would be an example of taking that step.

Alas!

I should have trusted Nigella from the start. This one, taken from Nigella Lawson's beautiful book 'Feast', was surprisingly easy to prepare (and immensely satisfying to eat). You simply bake a thin, meringue-like chocolate cake, poured out on a baking sheet; then make the frosting; spread it on; roll it up and coat it. You have a chance to get creative with the 'log' look too. The frosting was like no other, and the recipe made gallons of it, so it was enormously thick.

This one I made for my first roast dinner at uni at my friend Gemma's house (which was a divine feast, and many thanks to all involved, might I add). But my parents have now requested I make one for Christmas day! I was so proud of this one that I'm a little nervous of how the next one will turn out. Fingers crossed...

Charlotte

Folding the chocolatey and eggy parts of the cake mixture together...

... the baked cake...

... rolled up with a layer of frosting